The present invention relates to a new and novel variety of plum tree (Prunus salicina), which will hereinafter be denominated varietally as the `Sir George` plum tree, and more particularly to a plum tree which produces a firm, uniformly large fruit having a distinct flavor, and which is mature for commercially harvesting and shipment approximately the last week of July under the ecological conditions prevailing in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California.
The commercial appeal of a given variety of tree fruit may be based upon one or more attributes. Characteristically, commercially successful tree fruit possess noteworthy attributes in several significant categories: flavor, keeping quality, size, shape and skin coloration. The relative importance of these categories are readily evident. However, in reality, the very nature of the evaluation in several key areas renders an overall evaluation of a selected variety, in most cases, somewhat subjective to some degree. Thus, for example, the appeal of the flavor of a given tree fruit may largely be dependent upon personal preferences.
As a consequence, distinctive attributes in the more objective categories such as size, shape and skin coloration are often very important to the commercial success of tree fruit. In this regard, typically the larger the size of the fruit, the greater the commercial appeal. The same may be said of tree fruit having a uniformly distinctive shape and an intense skin coloration. As a general matter, it is unusual to find a variety of tree fruit possessing exemplary attributes in a number of these more objective categories.